When talking about the biggestNintendoflagship titles,The Legend ofZeldawill always be in the top five. The most prominent reason for that is the fact that it was one of the first few action-adventure videogames that were genuinely good.The Legend of Zeldavideo game debuted in 1986, and soon became one of the best titles on theNESand Famicom. TheZeldaseries is the right mixof a couple of genres, which makes it a unique game in comparison to others.
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Things like details, gameplay, story, and boss fightsdefine this seriesfor many gamers. But if there’s one aspect that is particularly memorable to a lot of people, it would be the boss battles. So let’s take a look back at some of the most significant and hardest fightsin the series and rank them.
Updated on April 24th, 2022 by Russ Boswell:There have been a lot of amazing Legend of Zelda releases over the years. Players have gone through numerous adventures with Link, defeating powerful enemies and taking down some truly imposing bosses. As mechanics get more complicated, some boss fights become a masterclass in multitasking, and some other bosses are just downright powerful and difficult to dodge. To give players a better look at the most difficult bosses found within The Legend of Zelda franchise, the following list has been updated and includes even more entries than before.
13Gyorg - The Legend Of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
The year 2000 was famous for a lot of cult classic releases. This included songs, movies, shows, and video games, andMajora’s Maskwas one of those games. It was easily one of the top best action-adventure games onN64. What made it even better was the fact that it was 3D, which was pretty hot back in the 2000s. The boss fights were just as cool too, from which Gyorg has to be one of the hardest ones. Just look at the concept of this abomination, it looks deadly and is dangerous.
The ideal strategy to slay this sea fiend is to meet it in its watery domain and defeat it in its own home, like a true symbol of courage. As Zora Link, players can slash Gyorg with their fin-blades or shock them with an electric field unique to this form. Alternatively, one can shoot them from afar with their bow to stun it long enough to swim up, get a few hits, and then swim back to their sniping spot to repeat the process.
12Demise - The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Swordwas released onNintendo Wiiin late 2011. This was the first big Zelda title on Wii and implemented a lot of new gameplay features. Some people like that about it, while some people dislike the motion controls. MotionPlus controls add another layer of difficulty to the game, making every fight a bit more challenging. When all of that is combined with the final boss battle, there’s no hope for survival. However, Demise isn’t as hard as another boss from the same game.
Link will need to deal with Demise’s lightning attacks one way or another if players want to defeat him. Most choose to dodge these and face the foe in close combat, though another method is to hold one’s sword upward and catch the lighting that crashes down. It is also crucial to look out for Demise’s Skyward Strikes and possibly even use Link’s own such strikes against the burly boss.
11Koloktos - The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Koloktos has to be another one of the most memorable bosses in the whole series. Anyone who has played theSkyward Sword,will remember this boss battle and the boss for the unique design and physical attributes. However, another thing for which the players will remember this is the sheer effort and difficulty of this boss fight. As if motion controls aren’t enough, this requires excellent timing, whipping, and accurate dodging. Making it a really fresh looking yet scarily tricky encounter.
As the mechanized monster twirls about, assaulting the player from many angles, it can be very difficult to dodge them all. It is recommended to use backflips to clear the automaton’s metal limbs easier. After each dodge, try to use Link’s whip to snag and then tear off a golden arm. Once the player gets into the rhythm of the pattern, this battle will become like pulling legs off of a spider.
10Puppet Ganon - The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Initially released forGameCubein late 2002,The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Wakerwas one of a kind experiences of the time. The game added so much to the core formula of theZeldaseries, becoming one of the must-play games on the system. This popularity is the reason the game was relaunched onWii Uyears later.
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The core reason for thepopularity is the fungameplay and story with Puppet Gannonbeing one of the most memorableand difficult bosses of the game. The size of this boss is probably a hundred times the size of Link. And if that’s not scary, the fact that thisboss needs to be beaten in a particular waywill leave players trying different things until they finally get it.
The combination of tasks required plus the three total stages of this boss makes it one of the longer battles one will experience inWind Waker. Link will initially need to sever the massive pig-like puppet’s strings with their boomerang until only the red one remains. Using the bow, then shoot the marionette’s tail orb until Ganon enters their next phase. In this arachnid form, Link will have to fight them in melee combat by more traditional means. When this phase is dispatched, Puppet Ganon will become a maddened caterpillar, whose weak point is, like with the other forms, the blue orb upon their body. Strike it a few more times to lay this bizarre and stubborn fiend to rest.
9Onox - The Legend Of Zelda: Oracle Of Seasons
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of SeasonsandOracle of Ageswere two of the most popular games on the NintendoGameBoy Color. Released in 2001, this game follows a similar design to that ofLink’s Awakeningfrom 1993. This meant that they were top-down 2D action-adventure games with a really different gameplay style from current Zelda games. Onox is the final boss inOracle of Seasons, so, naturally, the boss will be demanding. But no one would expect him to be as tricky as he is in the game, especially with his wrecking ball of a flail for a weapon.
Onox’s first phase is arguably the toughest as it requires the most hits to dispatch and asks a lot from the player’s ability to multitask. The only way to hurt the well-armored villain is with spin attacks, so constantly charging them is a necessity. Doing so while dodging morning star flail strikes is tough enough, but after seven hits, Onox summons poor Din trapped in a crystal to his side as a shield. If struck, the jewel will shock Link painfully, so he will need to slap it away with the Rod of Seasons before attacking Onox some more, but beware as the crystal bounces around the boss room. Four more hits will lead to Onox’s second phase: a giant gem-horned dragon. Players will need to dodge their massive claw swipes and slams as well as attempt to jump on the drake’s hands and ride them up to Onox’s face, where Link can use more spinning attacks to shatter the crystal of power with four more attacks.
8Dark Link - The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
Everybody knowsThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Timehas to be one of the top five best Zelda games ever made. There are so many different concepts in this one that it shines even though it is an N64 original. The visuals are outdated for current standards, but the game has seen a re-release as aNintendo 3DSremake. The game is known for many feats, but one thing has to be the most memorable. And that would be the fight with Dark Link. This boss copies the players, from appearance to combat, making him one of the most annoying bosses in the game.
However, Dark Link cannot copy all of the player’s moves. Since there is no way for this shadowy figure to replicate the Megaton Hammer, it is the ideal weapon to use against them. Just be sure to compensate for this blunt armament’s differences from Link’s bladed weapons.
7The Imprisoned - The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Some Legend of Zelda bosses are more annoying than they are overtly difficult. Their odd movements, attack patterns, or abilities, make them a handful regardless of the player’s power. The Imprisoned is a good example of this, making the three separate encounters with it in Skyward Sword particularly frustrating. It’s not exactly a hard boss to figure out, but it grows stronger with each encounter. It even has its own “fail mechanic,” which will cause an automatic game over should the monster progress far enough during its march, and it doesn’t matter how much health players have if this happens.
6Vaati Reborn - The Legend Of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Capis a 2004GameBoy Advanceoriginal. The game retains many of the critical elements from the original Zelda titles. Including the 2D approach, beautiful art style, and a top-down perspective. GBA games have always been pretty epic even in the 2D form, and that is what Minish Cap is, except this one boss fight. Vaati Reborn has to be the single most challenging part of this whole game. This boss can spawn projectiles, teleport, and take multiple different forms.
This ocular assailant’s three phases are all annoying in their own way. The first involves the fiend summoning small eyes that shield him as well as attack. These can be slashed and destroyed, giving Link time to strike at Vaati before he calls for backup. In their second phase, the boss appears as a big, red eye with smaller eyes orbiting them. Players will need to make some copies and strike together to defeat this form. The adversary’s last phase is a beholder-like monstrosity that players will need to use the Cane of Pacci to stun and spin attacks to harm in addition to frantic clone-tactics.
5Monk Maz Koshia - The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
It is terrific to see that even with thelatest release in the Zelda series, the games are still very challenging. Especially this one fight from the DLC against Monk Maz Koshia.The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildis everybody’s new favorite Zelda title and the most recent one till 2020.
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Monk Maz has to be a creative and modern boss design, not at all threatening, but it is the gameplay part that makes him troublesome. This boss can float, hit players with different combos, and clone himself, making the fight super challenging for players.
The best offense to fight Maz is simpler than one thinks, though requires precise timing. Alternate slashing at the monk and leaping back with perfect dodges to get into a nice rhythm of hit-and-runs. One of his more deadly moves involves him using a long, sweeping strike, which often catches even the most nimble players who simply try to jump over it. The key to evasion here is to jump and then glide for a bit to clear the sweep. This can also put Link in a good position for a downward attack or two.
4Moldorm - The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Pastis aSuper Nintendooriginal from 1991. It is the only major Zelda game on SNES, which made it a must-own for everyone at the time. Little did they know what awaits them on the roof of Tower of Hera. Moldorm is probably the most annoying boss in the series. Nothing can beat this little fellow. Visually he looks super hilarious with two googly eyes, but do not let the looks deceive you. This boss is made to irritate players into quitting, as the only way to hit him is on the rear end, but before players can do that, it will push them to lowers floors, essentially restarting the boss fight and making players climb back up again. What a sicko.
There are no alternate weapons or cheese-moves one can use on this disgusting abomination to defeat them easily. This is one battle that requires players to simply get good or go play another game. However, there are some methods that can make this ordeal less taxing. Keeping Link’s sword charged with a spin attack and releasing it when Moldorm’s tail approaches is the easiest method to land a hit during the worm’s slow-mode due to the larger hitbox of this attack animation. After four hits, however, Moldorm will speed up. At this point, using normal attacks for their swiftness over surface area coverage is more likely to land a hit. Throughout the fight, try to stay close to the entrance as this is the part of the boss room with the most floor.
